Dorsey & Whitney LLP continues to expand its presence in Phoenix with the addition of partners Alissa Brice Castañeda and Gabriel Hartsell and a team of four associates and two legal assistants. They join partners Scott Jenkins, Isaac Gabriel, and Andrea Palmer who opened the office on January 18, 2022. Dorsey now has 13 attorneys licensed to practice in Arizona.
Alissa Brice Castañeda’s practice focuses on bankruptcy, creditors’ rights litigation, commercial litigation and healthcare litigation. Alissa advises banks, lending institutions, and other creditors and corporate clients in chapter 11 bankruptcies, loan workouts and restructuring, receiverships, and other enforcement, foreclosure and deficiency actions. In addition to her restructuring practice, Alissa also represents clients in commercial litigation matters in both state and federal court. Alissa also handles healthcare litigation and frequently advocates for her clients in administrative hearings.
Before joining Dorsey, Alissa was a partner with Quarles & Brady LLP in the Phoenix office. She received her B.A. from the University of Southern California and her J.D. from the Boston College Law School.
“We are delighted to be joining Dorsey & Whitney,” noted Alissa Brice Castañeda. “The Firm has superb lawyers across all major practice areas and a significant presence in industries worldwide that are crucial to the Mountain West region. We look forward to serving our clients from the Dorsey platform and further supporting Dorsey’s extraordinary client base.”
Gabriel Hartsell represents creditors in Chapter 7, 11, and 13 filings, as well as pursuing their claims against debtors in those matters. His practice focuses on the protection of creditors' rights throughout all facets of bankruptcy reorganizations, restructurings, workouts, and other financial transactions. He regularly represents commercial equipment lenders and lessors in substantial business reorganization cases, in addition to commercial landlords in all aspects of lease enforcement disputes and resolution. He routinely advises financial institutions, creditors, debt servicers, and a variety of corporate clients on a diverse array of commercial and contractual disputes. This includes guiding clients through pre-suit lien enforcement efforts under the UCC, as well as protecting secured creditors' collateral interests and rights through the application of provisional remedies like receiverships.
Gabriel’s litigation experience extends to defending clients across the financial services industry against class action and individual statutory claims, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, and related state claims, with a primary focus on federal court practice. Gabriel incorporates a business mindset into his legal practice, aiming to resolve clients' legal issues through efficient litigation management, while always bearing in mind the cost and liability associated with each individual case.
Before joining Dorsey, Gabriel was with Quarles & Brady LLP in the Phoenix office. He received his B.S. from Palm Beach Atlantic University and his J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law.
“We are all very excited to be joining Dorsey. It is a great Firm with a tremendous reputation and provides a great fit for us,” said Gabriel Hartsell. “Dorsey has a broad footprint—having resources in New York, Delaware and all of the Western U.S. and international offices will be an immediate benefit to our clients.”
In addition, Associates Madison Burr, Michael Galen, Hannah Torres, and Julie Walters, and legal assistants Lizzie Norman and Cheryl Duff are part of this growing Phoenix team.
“Continuing to add top legal talent to Dorsey’s new Phoenix office is a top priority,” said Bill Stoeri, Managing Partner of Dorsey. “We are pleased to add these lawyers and other professionals to our team in Phoenix and to continue our growth in the Mountain West region.”